Everything Has Changed
by TheWhoLockedSupernaturalist
Summary: Rose and Scorpius met when they were 11, and too innocent to know better. This is the story of their relationship over the years, and how eventually, they fell in love. Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot.
1. Prologue

They met when they were 11 and too innocent to know better. The girl with a river of liquid fire crowning her brilliant head, and the boy with shining storm clouds for eyes. The girl with two famous parents, the boy with an infamous father. The girl with an army of relatives who would obliterate anyone who tried to hurt her. The boy with an absent mother and a father with a blackened past, a grandfather who had disowned the boy's father, a grandmother who had divorced his grandfather to protect the boy. The fire girl and the stormy boy met in a tumble of suitcases and legs. Neither of them knew how it had happened, but it made both of them forget the warnings planted in their brains since they were little. The fire girl looked up at the stormy boy and saw herself reflected in his eyes. The stormy boy looked at the fire girl's hair and recognized the fiery passion of his heart. They looked at each other and saw themselves.

Of course this made them bond instantly. If you see yourself reflected in someone else, it makes you curious. Especially if you are as smart as these two were. Rose Weasley, daughter of Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, was both brilliant and mischievous. She was able to plot the most complicated of pranks in a mere 10 minutes, but she had no friends outside of her family, except her new barn owl, Finneas. Scorpius Malfoy, son of Draco Malfoy and Astoria Greengrass, was lonely but clever. He spent a lot of his time at home locked up in his room drawing in a sketchbook (which his father would burn if he found it) and playing with his new gray tabby kitten Daria.

The meeting was an accident, but both Scorpius and Rose felt like it was somehow meant to happen.

"Um, sorry! I can't believe it. I'm such a klutz!" Rose spoke quickly, trying to apologize to this boy with silky white-blond hair and stormy eyes. "What's your name?" She tried to make up for it by being nice. He smiled shyly at her.

"I'm Scorpius." He neglected to tell her his last name, for fear that it would frighten her off. Little did he know that she already knew him, and he already knew her, but he asked simply out of politeness. "What's yours?" She blushed.

"I'm Rose We- I'm Rose. That's all you need to know." She couldn't see the shift in Scorpius's eyes, but shift they did. And suddenly, he knew everything had changed, even though he only knew her name. A Malfoy and a Weasley, friends? It couldn't happen. It was impossible.

Wasn't it?

**A/N: Hey guys! So sorry for the long hiatus. I have been so busy! This is prologue to a Scorose I'm writing, that's why it's so short. If you're one of my old readers, please let me know if I should update my other stories. If you're new, please review and tell me what you think! Again, sorry for the long wait. **


	2. Chapter 1: Something Other Than Expected

Chapter 1: Something Other Than Expected

**A/N: Here's chapter 1! Enjoy!**

Albus Severus Potter walked onto the Hogwarts train just as it was pulling out of the station. He pulled his trunk all the way onto the train as the platform disappeared. He stood and caught his breath for a second, then headed towards the back of the train, where James had said the rest of the family would be. He sighed and pushed his way through a group of older students, who looked at him like a plague, but Al didn't even notice. He was too busy thinking about what his dad had said, that it didn't matter if he got into Slytherin. He was so busy thinking about that, in fact, that he didn't even see his cousin and a blond-white haired boy helping each other up. He ran straight into Rose and Scorpius.

Rose fell backwards, happy that she was wearing pants. Scorpius landed on top of her, and quickly pushed himself off, trying not to make it any more awkward than it already was. Al had landed on top of his trunk, but he wasn't hurt. Once the three of them had stood up and pushed all their stuff into an empty compartment (thus clearing the corridor), they moved themselves into the compartment. There were three cages: an owl cage with a young barn owl in it, a small cat carrier that was mewling quite angrily, and a second owl cage with a small barred owl in it. The owls looked bored rather than angry, but the kitten was rather mad.

The trio went to their respective animals, Rose and Al just petting their owls through the cage, Scorpius actually taking Daria out of her carrier. He cradled her in his arms and pet her head, determined to make her stop mewling like a newborn.

"So, I'm Al. You can call me Albus. Don't you dare call me Albus Severus, though, cause I will punch you in the face. I'm also Rose's cousin. Did she introduce herself? I'm sorry for running into you, I get lost in my thoughts sometimes. Who are you?" Al talked fast but clearly, extending his hand to Scorpius.

"Sorry, where are my manners? Mum definitely taught me better than this. Al, this is Scorpius M- Scorpius. Scorpius, this is my idiot cousin Albus." Rose introduced them, and Scorpius shook Al's hand, juggling Daria to do it. The two released hands quickly, and the three sat down, Al and Rose on one bench, Scorpius on the other. It almost felt like an interrogation for Scorpius as he put Daria away and looked at the cousins.

The three knew each other's names from the newspaper and from the tales their parents had told them. Albus had recognized Scorpius as a Malfoy from his dad's description of Draco the minute he had seen Scorpius. They didn't know everything about each other though, so they spent the remainder of the time stuffing their faces with food from the food cart and talking. About Quidditch, which they all loved to play, about which House they hoped to be Sorted into, about anything else except family names.

* * *

(Rose's POV)

I walk off the train with Al and Scorpius, the train ride having passed in a blur. We see Hagrid, and I know for a fact that Al recognizes him as much as I do from Uncle Harry's description. He is huge. He doesn't see us though, as he is very busy directing the first years to the boats. Tonight is the perfect time for a boat ride. The skies are clear, and the sun is just setting, illuminating the lake in gold and yellow and red, Gryffindor colors. The rest of the first years are loading onto the boats, and Al, Scorpius, and I hurry onto an empty one, happy that it's three to a boat and not two.

The boats sail themselves as soon as everyone is settled into them, heading towards the picturesque castle that stands on a mountain. I didn't believe Mum before when she talked about how beautiful Hogwarts truly was (the castle, not the students), but I definitely believe her now. It is ancient and looks down at us, welcoming us into its arms (figuratively, of course). We get there in no time, and a stern-looking old woman leads us through a maze of hallways that I surely will never memorize. She looks hardly at me, then her face softens. She must see my mother, Hermione, in me. To be honest, most people say I like almost exactly like her when she was a first year, except for the Weasley hair and my "stunning, bright blue eyes", but I can't see it. She is beautiful and has learned how to tame her hair, whereas I still have most of my baby fat, and my hair does not frizz because it is that way naturally, not because of anything I had to do with it. My hair is still curly, though, something I love. Red hair and curls go awesomely together.

As we walk into a small room, surely an antechamber, I close my eyes and listen to the voices around me. Al and Scorpius are talking about Slytherin. A group of girls nearby is gossiping about the Houses, and one of them exclaims that Gryffindor is the best. I open my eyes and smile. Of course it's the best House. My whole family is there. We make up a good portion of the school, us Weasleys and Potters. We also make up a good portion of the front page headlines.

My train of thought is derailed when I hear the doors reopen, and the old lady walks in. I assume she must be Professor McGonagall, the headmistress. She ushers us into a line and through the doors, and before I realize it, we're in front of the entire school. I look at the four student tables and see a huge mass of redheads at one table. I decide this must be Gryffindor, and while I decide this, the names are already being called. Before I know it, Scorpius is being called up to the hat, an old tatty wizard's hat, with a mouth that opens very wide when it calls the House, and two strings hang down, one on either side. As McGonagall calls Scorpius up there, everyone goes silent as they hear his name. He is the first Malfoy since the second Wizarding War to attend Hogwarts, and everyone, including the staff, is expecting him to be a copy of his father: rude, arrogant, and strutting about the school while everyone else bows down to him and his cronies. I know him better, having just spent the long train ride talking to him, and I hope the hat helps him break away from his cursed family name. It sits there and Scorpius has his eyes screwed shut. He sits on the tall stool for exactly a minute and 13 seconds. I count because I want to know whether or not the hat is making a snap decision, which it isn't. It finally shouts out a name, and everyone looks surprised.

"GRYFFINDOR!" The whole Hall gasps as one, small conversations breaking out as Gryffindor table sits there for a second, clapping politely. They will get to know him, and like him. I know it.

Soon, Al is called up. To no one's surprise, he is Sorted into Gryffindor. If I don't make it in, I will be the first Weasley or Potter to ever not be a Gryffindor. Hopefully I can choose, like my mother did. She told me that it wanted to put her in Ravenclaw, but she sat there and told it Gryffindor, so it put her there.

Next thing I know, McGonagall is calling my name. I walk up there nervously, feeling my whole family's eyes on me. They all think I'm the perfect thing for Ravenclaw. Not one of them doubts that that's where I'll go. I sit there, and the hat talks to me, but I know that I'm the only one who can hear it.

"Hmm, another Weasley. How many more to come?" It grumbles for a second, but pulls itself together. "You have the brains to go in Ravenclaw, I see. You have the dedication and hard working attributes that belong to Hufflepuff. And you are very cunning and resourceful, so you could belong in Slytherin. I also see bravery and courage, however, meaning you could be a Gryffindor. You, Miss Weasley, are a very difficult case." It sits for a second, and I think about what my cousins said, that I must be a Ravenclaw. _I don't want to be anywhere but Gryffindor. I would rather be a happy cliché than a sad person who stands out. _The hat sighs, and talks again. "It takes true bravery to demand to be the same as everyone else, but it takes brains to manipulate me like that. So the true question, Miss Weasley, is whether you are a Gryffindor or a Ravenclaw." It sits there, thinking, for a long time. I can't stop thinking about how my father said he would disown me if was anywhere but Gryffindor. I can't stop thinking about that. But I've made up my mind. _Ravenclaw can't be that bad, can it?_ Just like that, the hat is talking again.

"And so you have decided. It takes true courage to accept who you are, and that is what makes you a…. GRYFFINDOR!" It shouts the last part out loud.

All I know is that the hat is right. I'm incredibly brave, I just haven't had a chance to prove it yet. The question now, is will I ever get the chance? I'm very sheltered, being the media's darling. If I can't see what the real world is like, how can I see if I'm brave?

Meanwhile, my feet have walked me to the Gryffindor table, where they take me to Al and Scorpius, instead of my cousins. Every single one of my relatives looks shocked. Dominique, Uncle Bill's daughter, told me before the start of school that I was a dead-on Ravenclaw. By the looks on everyone's faces, including people I have never met before, everyone thought that. I smile a little to myself. Defying expectations is fun. I never expected to be a rule-breaker. Actually, scratch that. If I wasn't Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, I would've been Slytherin, if only because I am very cunning when it comes to pulling pranks. I've managed to blame most of them on Hugo, except the ones I want credit for. I have always been marked down as a goody two shoes in the public's eyes, but to those who know me well, I have always been marked down as the reincarnation of my Uncle Fred, who died before I was born.

It's good to know that I'm very like a legend. It gives me a little bit of hope that I can someday be a legend myself, because of something _I_ did, not something my ancestors did. It's a good feeling, and I like it.

I sit down next to Al, who is next to Scorpius. I think we're all going to be good friends, but we're also going to be competitive. Very competitive.

It's going to be a fun 7 years.

**A/N: Hey, I'm back with a long (for me) chapter! Just cause I didn't do it in the prologue, the picture that I used for the cover does not belong to me. Kudos to meru90 on deviantart for that. As always, please review (it feeds my muse). **

**Catch**

**You **

**Later**

**~TWLS**


	3. Chapter 2: And So It Begins

Chapter 2: And So It Begins…

**A/N: Chapter 2. R&amp;R, and know that I'm working on Chapter 3!**

(Scorpius POV)

It's been all of 7 hours since I met her, but I know that we're going to be best friends. We walk next to each other, with her cousin Albus, as we head up to Gryffindor Tower. I can't feel all the food that I've just eaten in my stomach, instead I feel butterflies. They flutter around, making me as nervous as all get-out. I'm the first Malfoy to _not _go to Slytherin. What will my father think? What about my grandmother? I could hardly care less about my mother's opinion, as she hasn't been in my life regularly for a long time, and my grandfather has disowned my father. I never hear from him, so I obviously don't care about about Lucius. But what about Gran? She moved in with me and my father a couple of years ago, and together, they've helped raise me as indifferent to pureblood thoughts.

I shake my head to clear it, then focus a little more on what the prefect is saying.

"Here is Gryffindor Tower. You can tell where it is by this portrait," he points to a singing lady, "the Fat Lady." I almost laugh out loud. I mean, come on. The Fat Lady? That's just asking for it. Some people also want to laugh, except they aren't as quiet about it. I hear a few sniggers, and the prefect clearly hears them as well. "Yes, yes, very funny. I'm sure that our living portrait appreciates that very much." He talks very dryly, no humour whatsoever in his voice. "As I was saying, the Fat Lady is the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. The password changes often, but there is no set schedule for _when_ it changes. So listen up for password news. At the moment, the password is _initium novum_." as he says the password, the portrait swings open to reveal a large room with lots of red in it. There is red wallpaper decorating the walls, lots of red couches and chairs, and a fireplace at the center. Two staircases branch off from the main room, and I can only guess that they lead to the dormitories. The prefect who has been leading us so far goes to the staircase on the right, and the boys follow him. The girls, on the other hand, head towards the staircase on the left. As we head up, the prefect starts to speak.

"There's one important thing about the girls' and boys' dorms being so close together: girls can enter boys dorms, but boys cannot enter girls dorms. Understood? If you try, the staircase will become a slide, and that is quite humiliating." We all groan a little inside. How is that fair? They can come disturb us, but we have to send a girl up with a message? I realize that I won't be able to talk to Rose as easily as I'd hoped when she's in her dorm. I sigh quietly, and Albus, who is right beside me, catches it.

"Thinking about Rose?" He asks. Not to be creepy, but yes, I am. I don't tell him that though, I just nod. He nods back. "Yeah, me too. It'll suck to not be able to wake up my favorite cousin!" As we're talking, I notice that we've reached a door. There is no lock on the door, and the prefect opens it. It swings inward, revealing a room with 6 four-poster beds. The room is fairly large, with 3 beds on each side of the room. The trunks are already set up at the ends of the beds, and mine is at the very end next to the window and Albus' trunk. The window is large, with a pretty comfy-looking seat in it. A door branches off from the main room, and I would bet anything that that is the bathroom and showers. I wonder for a second if the girls' dorm is similar, then find that I'm too tired to care, as I collapse on my bed, still sitting up but about to keel over. I open my trunk and pull out my pajamas, a pair of flannel pants and a white t-shirt.

I could honestly not care anything about my roommates, and I intend to not care until tomorrow morning. I pull on my pajamas, and set my alarm clock on my nightstand. I want to get up early, and get down to breakfast. I crawl under the thick sheets, and close my eyes. I don't hear anything else, and I fall asleep.

…..

I wake up in the morning and find that the curtains are drawn around my four-poster, though my nightstand is tucked inside the curtains. I assume that Al must have done it, which was really nice of him. I throw the curtains open and stand up, then quietly walk towards my trunk. None of my clothes are in it, and I panic for a few seconds until I remember that there are drawers under the bed, and that there are house-elves at Hogwarts, which must mean they put my clothes away for me.

I open up the drawer on the right under my bed, and I'm surprised that it doesn't squeak at all. It has my day clothes, like jeans and shirts. The drawer on the left is opened to reveal robes. I take a robe from the left and some clothes to wear under it, then head to the bathrooms. I take a quick shower and change, then head quietly through the herd of still-sleeping boys in the room, intent on going to the common room. I manage to somehow make it to the common room, and I tiptoe down the stairs, trying not to wake anyone else up. I know for a fact that we receive our schedules today at breakfast, though not until 8:30. It's currently 7:45, which gives me plenty of time to get downstairs and get a good seat to eat. It takes me about 15 minutes to get down to the Great Hall. I time it using my watch, to see when the latest I need to get up is. Breakfast ends at 9:00 sharp, when classes start. That means I can wake up at 8:15, not shower, and get downstairs with time to grab a muffin or some toast, and still make it to class on time. Not that I would ever want to get up so late.

In the Great Hall, I head over to the Gryffindor table, my book bag bumping against my leg the whole time. I see Rose sitting with a bunch of her cousins and laughing. I don't think I should interrupt, because it seems very… private, but Rose waves me over and pats one of the seats next to her. The other one must be saved for Al, because as soon as he shows his face, she yells his name and beckons him over.

We laugh and I meet her cousins. Most of them are fairly accepting of the fact that I'm actually sitting among them, but a couple of the other ones seem tense. Rose assures me that the boy with dark brown hair (whose name is apparently James) is only stressed about Quidditch try-outs, and her cousin Dom is always tense-looking, and no one has any idea why. At this, I relax.

Suddenly, a short man appears. James grins, and it makes him look so much younger than he was before.

"Hello, Professor Flitwick! Here to give us our schedules, I hope. When do I have the pleasure of your class?" Flitwick shudders and hands James his schedule, choosing to distribute the rest of the schedules rather quickly. As he walks towards another group of students, I hear him muttering something about James Potter being reincarnated just to torture him. I have no idea what that means, but Albus heard it too, and he explains about his Dad's parents, but is interrupted by Rose. She grabs his and my schedules, comparing them to her own. She hands them back with a giant grin on her face.

Al apparently thinks it's a little scary. "Hey, Rose, cousin dear, you look like a poltergeist." She scowls at him, but not for long.

"Sorry," she begins, "it's just that we have all the same classes together! You and I and Scorpius are in every single class together!" She then looks at me, and I don't know why. "I intend to beat you in every subject." She says this very matter-of-factly, and I'm taken aback. I look towards Al for help, but find only a shoulder shrug. Rose sighs. "Sorry, Scorpius, it's just that my father told me to!" I nod in understanding. Her father must have read my father's mind, and I tell her so.

"You know, my father told me the same thing. I guess we'll just have to see who the better student is…" At this, I stand and make a dramatic exit, though I wait for her and Al outside the Hall. I don't want to be alone! But I will try and beat her.

And so our legendary friendly rivalry begins.

**A/N: Sorry, that took a couple days longer than expected. Thanks for being patient, especially you, **long live marshmallows**. I'm afraid I lied… Oops. Thanks you guys, for reading this! I'm especially thanking you guys who followed my story! (You know who you are!) The next chapter will definitely be up within the week, though I can't promise a specific date. As always, reviews are appreciated but not necessary. **

**Bye!**

**~TWLS**


	4. Feelings Have Developed…Or Have They?

Chapter 3: Feelings Have Developed… Or Have They?

**A/N: So I seem to have lied… again. Don't kill me! There's a longer note at the end, but for now, please enjoy!**

(Rose POV)

During first year, Scorpius and Al had become my best friends. Now, as we all sat on the train home, playing Exploding Snap, I thought about what Mum had told me, how she'd become friends with Dad and Uncle Harry. She'd told me all about their first year adventures, and had promised to tell me all about her second year this summer. I expected that for every summer to come, she would tell me about her corresponding school year. It only made sense. Why tell me the heavy stuff that had happened in her seventh year now, when I was twelve?

While thinking about that, I missed a card and it exploded, causing Al and Scorp to pause the game and laugh their butts off. I thought about hexing them but thought it might be inappropriate. Instead I just made a face at them and restarted the game, causing a card to explode in their faces. A reverse of the beginning of the year, Scorp and Al sat on one bench while I sat on the other with Finneas (whom I affectionately call Finn), Al's very large barred owl Magnum, and Scorp's adorable tabby cat Daria.

Eventually, after many games of Exploding Snap and lots of sweets from the trolley, we finally arrived at King's Cross, hidden platform 9 and 3/4. Of course, we were already in Muggle clothes, but Al and Scorpius had refused to clean up their half of the compartment until now. I rolled my eyes and grabbed Finn and my trunk, eager to see Mum and Dad and Hugo after a whole year, since I had spent Christmas at Hogwarts with the rest of the Weasley/Potter clan. Behind me, I knew Albus and Scorpius were trying desperately to get rid of their trash, but I decided to take pity on them. I Vanished the cushions, knowing that it was a tricky bit of Transfiguration that wasn't taught for years, but I loved the look on Al and Scorp's faces. Transfiguration and Charms were my strong suits in magic, with Potions coming in a close second. Actually, screw that. I excelled at all my classes except History of Magic, which was taught by a ghost and about as exciting as a flobberworm. Scorpius paid enough attention in that class to scrape all three of us through, but I wouldn't be talking that any longer than I had to.

Coming back to the present, I realized the train had stopped and I rushed to the nearest exit, eager to show Mum and Dad how much taller I had grown over the year. I got off the train, not caring if Al and Scorp were right behind me or not. Dad was the first one I saw, being taller than most of the crowd, and I rushed towards him. He'd lost a little weight since I'd last seen him, and I was now as tall as his shoulder, making me just over 5 feet tall and the tallest of the trio.

I ran up to Dad and hugged him, while he lifted me into the air. When he put me down I threw my arms around Mum and hugged her as tight as I could. Then came Hugo, and I put him in a headlock. After that, we all stood there grinning, then I remembered my friends. Al was nearby with Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny, while his little sister Lily hugged James, who was now a fourth year. Scorpius was hugging his grandmother, who I remembered to be named Narcissa. I waved him over when he saw me, and he gladly came, his father and grandmother in tow. I figured it was easier to get this over with now, where there were lots of people and Dad was less likely to make a scene. I looked at him. He hadn't even noticed, but Mum had. She looked at me with a questioning eyebrow, and I just blinked in response. Eventually Scorp made it over, and Dad finally noticed. He flared his nostrils a little, but one look from Mum and he relaxed his face a little. He stuck out his hand to Draco Malfoy, who had a look of shock for a second, but he quickly quelled it and shook Dad's hand. Scorpius and I looked at each other, communicating wordlessly through eyebrows. Albus wandered over with Uncle Harry, who had forgiven Mr. Malfoy years ago. They also shook hands, and I knew that the paparazzi would love this. Fortunately for this, they weren't allowed on the platform. Other families were, however, and they looked shocked. Apparently Dad and Mr. Malfoy had had a huge rivalry in school, mostly over Mum's blood status. None of that mattered now, though, because they were accepting a mutual agreement of non-destruction.

…...

After a few weeks at home, I started to miss Scorpius and Albus, but there was nothing I could do about it until August. My family was cruising in the New Zealand/Australia area for two months, which was awesome, but I wasn't allowed to owl anyone, so I hadn't been able to wish Scorp a happy birthday. Yet. I planned on sending his gift as soon as I got back, using Finn, his first real flight to somewhere other than my house or Hogwarts.

The truth was something that I couldn't tell anybody, especially Dad. He would blow his top, and the paparazzi would spin that out of control. See, I'd spent a lot of time with Scorpius and Al over the year, and I had developed feelings for Scorpius… Of the brotherly variety. Dad wouldn't approve because I "already had, like, a bazillion male figures in my life to protect me, why did I need more?" Seriously. Why in the bloody hell would I like Scorp as more than a brother?

I didn't need more confusion in my life than was already there, but I had a feeling that it would be hard to keep my life uncomplicated for long.

**A/N: So… It's been a while. Sorry. Just don't kill me. Thanks to the people who followed and favorited it! You know who you are. Thanks to everyone else for reading this story! It has over 300 views so far! Anyways, just be patient and I'll try and update soon! Don't worry, this is a Scorose!**


	5. Another Beginning

**A/N: Hi... You may recognize me... Maybe not, you haven't seen me in awhile. It's still me, don't worry. No alien is pretending to be me, I promise (though that would be cool). Don't kill me, just enjoy.**

(Scorpius POV)

Finally, Hogwarts has started again. I can't wait to see Rose- I saw Al over the summer, but Rose was cruising with her family in some far-off place. Honestly, I miss my friends. It's only been a few weeks since I saw Al, but I miss him like crazy. And Rose, the mastermind of our pranks last year, would surely have something new planned.

But for now, I'll have to settle for my kitten - well, she's not a kitten anymore, but she still acts like one. She's sitting inside of my trunk, which I still have to pack, despite tomorrow being the first day of second year. She's so cute, though, playing with one of my red and gold ties, that I have to scoop her up and cuddle her. She meows, annoyed at having been interrupted. I set her down and look at the layer of trash at the bottom of my trunk. I don't even know how so much accumulated over only one year, but accumulated it has, and I have to get rid of it somehow. I remember the charm that Rose used before we got off the train at the end of the year, _Evanesco_. I've been reading up on charms and spells all summer, because Rose beat me in our competition last year and that can't happen again. I try the spell and it works.

"YES!" I shout very loudly, and Dad walks into my room, eyebrow raised. We don't live in Malfoy Manor ever since Dad got disowned and Grandmother divorced Lucius (he doesn't deserve to be called Grandfather). Instead we live in a small house at the edge of a Muggle-Wizard integrated neighborhood, next to a forest, with kilometers upon kilometers of adventures and fun. But I digress. Dad is looking at me like I'm insane, so I explain.

"I mastered the Vanishing Charm." I blush as he stares at me and shakes his head. I swear I hear him muttering about restricting my reading time, but he doesn't mention it. He just turns and walks out of my room, head still shaking. I turn back to my trunk and am absorbed in packing until I hear a tap at my window. I recognize Rose's family owl Azurelle, a pretty snowy owl. She's carrying a package in her claws, and I rush to relieve her. I give her an owl treat and stroke her pretty head, then send her back to Rose. I open the package and find another package and a letter inside. I tear open the letter, eager to hear from one of my best friends.

_Hey Scorpius!_

_I know this is really late (and I'm so sorry!) but I was on a cruise. I think I already told you that. Anyway, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I really hope you enjoy this- it took me ages to think of something that you might like. I'll see you soon!_

_Rose_

The letter flutters onto my bed and I dive for the package, eager for my present. I know it seems self-absorbed, but I have been waiting for ages for this! Rose always gets the best gifts, as I saw last year at Christmas. Then she got me a new sketchbook with new colored pencils bewitched to change to any hue of the shade of the pencil. For instance, the orange pencil could do anywhere from sunset orange to neon orange, and on to infinity. My attention returns to the present at hand, and I rip off the old newspaper that covers it. It's a Muggle book, a fairly recent one I think. It's a 15th anniversary edition and a few years old, a book called _The Book Thief_ by Markus Zusak. I instantly love it. I spend the next six hours devouring every inch of it and close the cover with a tear slipping down my cheek. I throw it across the room and curl up in a ball, before I remember that it's a special edition and that I had better take care of it.

I rush across the room and pick up the book. I whisper _Reparo_ under my breath, and luckily the book only repairs itself to the state it was in before I threw it, keeping its beautiful 'gently loved' look. I shake myself and look up, then see my sketchbook still sitting on my bed. I walk over, each step as light as a daydream, and grab it and my pencils. I sketch Liesel, and Rudy, Max, Death, the accordion, the train at the beginning of the book, everything that helps me to process the horrors that Muggles- that people- have experienced. I end up using many of the pages in my sketchbook, and that's when I discover that I will never beat Rose at Charms and Transfiguration. My sketchbook is self-replenishing and self-condensing, which means that no matter how many pages I use up, it will always be the same size and weight, with the same number of blank pages, but all my old sketches will still be there. I hug it to my chest and pack my colored pencils away in their case, then carefully set my art stuff on top of everything else in my trunk. I close the lid, and lock my trunk. Then I go to bed and fall asleep, dreaming of books upon endless books, and laughter in a meadow. It's a happy dream, and it nourishes my mind, keeping it light instead of weighed down.

…..

(Rose POV)

I wake up in the morning and my eyes snap open as I come face to face with big brown doe eyes. My baby brother, Hugo (the owner of the doe eyes) grins and jumps off my bed.

"Rosie! Just one more year!" I know he's referring to his own Hogwarts debut, which I am certain will happen, but I can't help but tease him.

"Unless you're a Squib!" His eyes get really wide and he races downstairs to the kitchen, where Mum is no doubt making bacon and french toast. It's her favorite breakfast and what she says will be our Hogwarts day tradition. Every time I came home for the holidays last year, she made it on my last morning. It's fantastic and the house-elves at Hogwarts don't make it quite the same, so I savor it as much as possible.

"Rose! Don't tease your brother!" She yells up the stairs and I only grin, thinking of all the fun I had over the summer with pranks. I can't wait to get back to Hogwarts! I only hear Mum sigh, and I jump out of bed. My clothes are already laid out, a pair of comfy blue jeans and a nice button up white shirt. My trainers lie on my floor in a heap, and I shove them on as I double-check my trunk's contents. This takes me only a couple minutes, so I have time to shove my hair into a ponytail before I jump downstairs. Sadly, my hair hasn't kept its natural un-frizziness, so it floofs out behind my head after it's been contained. I get downstairs and see Dad sitting at the table with a mug of tea in one of his hands. His other hand has the _Daily Prophet_ pinned to the table, and he looks very angry. Of course, though, he won't tell me. I would assume that it's something about the Weasley-Potter family, probably just paparazzi crap, but his ears are red, and that almost never happens. In fact, the last time his ears turned red was when we had to attend the annual "Rebuilding Ball" that the Ministry holds every year on May 2. That's the day that everyone dreads, because it means that the press will pull our stories out of the semi-privateness they hold for the rest of the year and make up facts about us. It sucks, but we tolerate it because it's better than being public all year round.

"What's that, Dad?" He looks up at me as if seeing me for the first time, and I see true fear in his eyes before he smothers it.

"Nothing, Rose, just some idiot who thinks that the Dark Arts are cool." He tries to reassure me, but I can see that it's something more than that. I don't press the issue, though, because I know it won't get me anywhere.

We eat breakfast, chattering about other things, and then Mom looks at the clock.

"Shoot, Ron, it's 9:30!" Dad rolls his eyes and gathers everyone's dishes. "Ron, I don't trust you around the car anymore, so I'll be driving. Rose, go get your stuff and put it down here. Hugo, I swear to Merlin, if you make one more comment about 'one more year' I will personally make sure that you _never_ go to Hogwarts." Mum has turned into what Dad calls "Mrs. Bossypants mode". He only calls it that behind her back because, of course, she'd kill him if she heard it. We all rush about the small, modest house, doing our best to appease Mum before she becomes murderous.

Inevitably, we leave the house early and get to King's Cross at 10:30, giving us plenty of time. Finn is set atop of my trunk on a trolley, and we head off to platform 9 and 3/4. We get there and claim a chunk of space for ourselves, waiting for everyone else. Uncle George shows up a few minutes after us with his family, and he beckons me over.

"Now, Rosie, as I was just telling Fred, this is all top secret. I've made some new supplies for you, and you can't let anyone know where you got it, seeing as McGonagall's banned my products. Got it?" I nod my head and conceal a grin as he shoves a parcel into my hands. I can only imagine the goodies that he's crammed into it, because Al and his family show up just then, with 5 minutes to spare.

We say all our goodbyes and promise to write before heading towards the train. I bump into Scorpius for the second year in a row when we are inside the train. We all find a compartment together and shut the door, only opening it when our cousins come knocking. In some weird, twisted way, we all manage to fit inside the compartment, and I look around. There are 9 of us:

James, a fourth year;

Fred II, also fourth year;

Roxanne, a sixth year;

Molly, a first year;

Me, Scorp, and Al, second years;

Dom, a third year;

And Lucy, also a third year and Molly's older sister.

Next year Hugo and Lily will be joining us, and I don't know what we'll do for space then.

Someone brings out a chess board, and we hold a mini tournament. I slaughter Fred, move on to dominating Lucy, take Dom down a notch, and annihilate Molly and Roxanne. Finally, it's me against James. I don't know where he learned it, but he's actually pretty good. Too bad Ron Weasley is my dad. It takes me longer than usual to best him, but eventually I do.

As the undisputed champion, I'll play whoever wins the game between Al and Scorpius. I silently hope that Scorpius wins, because I'd love to best him at something. It appears that Al has spent entirely too much time with my dad, though. He beats Scorpius in 5 moves, and I start to grin.

"So, _Albus Severus_, looks like it's just you and me." He glares at me but I ignore him, opting to crack my knuckles instead. I take my place on the same side of the board as the white pieces, and begin setting them up for a new game. Al does the same thing with his pieces, and then we play.

The game lasts well over half an hour. I'll gain the upper hand, then he will. Then I will, then he will. Truth be told, it's one of the hardest games of chess that I've ever played. Then I see it. Al's left his king wide open to my bishop. I smile deviously, then make my move. I've won the game. I can feel it. I look up at him just in time to see something flash across his face. Next thing I know, his pawn- his bloody _pawn_\- has taken out my bishop, and I'm in checkmate. A scowl slides into my face as my king dies. I manage to remember that it's all fun and games, just a friendly competition, and I relax.

We put away the chess set just as the Trolley Lady is coming around. Between the nine of us, we buy enough candy to restock Honeydukes. Then the inevitable happens. Someone was pushed, or someone stole a Chocolate Frog card, or something else. Al, Scorpius, and I pull back to occupy only a small corner, and Scorp pulls Daria out of her cage. We play with her until someone realizes that we should put on our robes, and then the carriage becomes a frenzied mess. Wrappers are on the floor, books are on the seats, and trunks are falling out of place. I sigh and Vanish all the wrappers. Next I return all books to their rightful owners. I'm about to scold Fred for pulling Dom's hair when I see the castle.

Everyone immediately settles down and crowds around the window. We range from ages eleven to sixteen, yet we somehow forget about that just for a moment. I smile contentedly, glad that my family and friends are one in the same. Then the moment's over, and things return to their barely confined chaos. It's beautiful, really, and I can't wait to spend a whole nother year stuck in the middle of it.

**A/N: I really am sorry. I meant to spend so much more time on this over the past year. To all who've read this far, thanks for sticking with me, and I'm sorry again. I hope the length makes up for the time. Please let me know whatever you think about the story this far! See you soon! **

**(And yes, I really do mean soon!)**

**~TWLS**


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